Stay Above Water on Bills

As the weather gets colder, checking the pipes at your house gets more important. Plus, it might help save money in the end.

“I’m a big people helper, so it’s embarrassing for me to then turn around and ask or indicate that I need help,” Donna Chaban, a Palm Springs homeowner, said.

When Chaban got a call from Desert Water Agency about her water bill, she felt stuck. This month, she owes about $300. Her bill on a normal month is typically about $20.

Chaban said she’s frugal with her water use so she’s confused why the spike in her bill. Desert Water Agency recommends looking at bills from the previous year to see if they’re higher or lower. If there’s a significant spike, that might mean you have a leak, which you can check on your own.

“You can go out to your water meter there’s a little dial on there and there’s no water in your home but that little dial is still spinning, that means that it’s almost certain you’ve got a water leak in your home,” Ashley Metzler, Desert Water Agency’s Outreach and Conservation Manager, said.

Resources for low income homeowners can be found on Desert Water Agency’s website. If there’s a leak on your property, the repair is your responsibility. If the leaks involves the water meter or the streets, that’s up to the agency to fix, Metzler said.